KevinMD

2015 Ford Mustang V6 Ride Report
STAR
RWD
19/28 MPG
3.7L V6
6 speed automatic with paddle shifters
300hp
0-60 5.4 seconds
16 Gallon fuel tank
13.5 cubic feet cargo space
6 way power driver seat/ manual recline
4 way manual passenger seat
4.2 inch display
AM/FM CD, USB, AUX, and Bluetooth
6 speaker system
Keyless ignition and entry
Rear view camera
Track Apps

Pros
Excellent handling
New independent rear suspension
V6 has great power and MPG
Great sounding V6

Cons
Very thick C pillars
Very cramped rear seat
Annoying Sync issues

Summary:
The redesigned Mustang is a great ride regardless of trim and engine



I picked up this yellow Mustang for a road trip to a spring football game. After 300 miles, I was greatly impressed with the Mustang and the V6 engine. This particular Mustang was in the base trim, with few options added. Many times the base trim, is barely tolerable, and missing many features. I'm happy that any Mustang is a great rental regardless of trim and engine.

The Mustang base has a V6 with 300 hp. 0-60 is about 5.5 seconds. The engine has a nice rumble to it on start, and a smooth roar on acceleration.
The V6 is rated at 28 mpg on the highway. After 300 miles of mostly highway driving, the gauge showed exactly 27 miles per gallon.



One of the new features for 2015, and is available for all trim levels is called "track apps". They are found in the instrument display as a menu setting. The apps are meant for taking the car to the track and playing around. There is an accelerometer, 0-30/60/100 times, 1/8 and 1/4 mile times, and braking distances. Wish I could have tried some of them out, but doing them without breaking the law or violating the rental agreement is the issue.

The common trims found in rental fleets are V6, Ecoboost, and Ecoboost premium. The Ecoboost trades in the V6 for a 2.3L turbo 4, and adds six way power front seats as standard. The Ecoboost Premium adds leather, heated and cooled front seats, nine speaker audio system, 8 inch touchscreen, SXM, and dual zone climate control.



The seats on the Mustang were surprisingly comfortable and supportive. My back felt very supported for the 300 mile journey. The backseat is very cramped. My daughter who is 5'10 was in the back this morning, and her head was up against the ceiling and back window. I would only put small kids in the back or 2 adults for a short in town drive.

The V6 Mustang comes with a six speaker system, that is surprisingly decent for six speakers. It does lack the depth of sound that a 14+ speaker system with subs has. It also doesn't have the deep base that the Shaker system has, but it is a nice clear sound with a good amount of power, and good bass.



The Mustang does have a few downsides. One of them is the Sync system. It is the familiar one found in many Fords. It is non touchscreen, with a whole lot of buttons to work it. Every time I start the car it lets me know with an audio message that it has connected to my phone, and the 911 assist is off.

Another downside is the blindsides due to the thick rear pillars. The side mirrors do have integrated blind spot mirrors, which do help some in checking the blind spots. I would feel better with the blind spot monitoring system, which is an option on upper models.



The Mustang for years has been my favorite sports car, and the 2015 remains the top. I have rented the Camaro, and while a nice car, the Mustang drives better, and I like how the Mustang feels roomier to me. In the Camaro I feel like I need to slouch to fit in. The one advantage the Camaro has is a touchscreen.

The new 2015 Mustang is a great looking car and a great handing car. It is sure to get a few looks and maybe even a few pictures taken, during your next rental, especially if it is in bright lemon yellow color.

piper28

Wait, there's a back seat? I feel sorry for someone that's sitting behind me since my seat tends to be back all the way.

I'm not sure I'd be in a hurry to take the base model, but in the ecoboost premium trim, it's an awfully nice car, quite honestly it's even optioned somewhat higher than a lot of similarly priced cars (ventilated seats even). Oddly, while I tend to be sensitive to C pillar visibility blockage, I didn't find it to be as bad as I expected myself. And I definitely found it to be far better than the camaro, I felt I almost had to lie down to drive that.

Out of curiosity, did you find the mirror controls to be hard to reach when you had the seat adjusted for you? That was one oddity that I found, felt like I needed arms that were about 6 inches longer.

KevinMD

I'm the same way with the seat position. I'm average height, but long legs. Didn't seem to have a problem with the mirror controls. Glad I'm not the only one who has seating issues with the Camaro. Feels like being strapped into an amusement park ride or something.

hiker72

A month ago while in Houston (Hobby), was walking towards a Yukon when I saw a white convertible Mustang. The thing was brand new, I think it had about 10 miles on it. What the hell.... the weather was great so I decided to take it. Big mistake.

If you don't mind the sports car ride (read: VERY bumpy), by all means take it. I didn't make it half a day before I returned to National to exchange it. The ride of the car actually gave me a headache. Maybe it's my age (I'm 43), but I felt.... let's just say... out of place driving it.

Thankfully, they had another Yukon. Much more room, comfort and luxury. Much more my style.

piper28

Was it 14 or a 15? Any idea? Admittedly, this late if it was brand new it probably was a 15. I don't remember finding the ride that harsh myself, but maybe I'm just used to the idea of things being bumpy as bad as our roads are in Michigan.

hiker72

It was a '15.

Wasn't the roads. Just rode like a sports car is all. Not very "forgiving" going over even the smallest imperfections in the roads.

Not saying the car was bad, I just prefer a more forgiving ride with a suspension that isn't so tight.

If you don't mind the harsher ride of sports car, by all means go for it.

piper28

The worst ride I've ever had was a Hyundai Tucson. Honestly thought that thing had no suspension at all in it. Don't remember the mustang being anywhere near as bad.